How to start a summer camp at home

The words “summer camp” evoke memories of swimming and canoeing, sitting under a tree working on a nature journal, learning one silly song after another around a campfire, trying new sports, discovering crazy games, and making friends.

There’s no question that summer camp opens children up to a whole world of possibilities, learning, and growth, among many other benefits. But what if, for whatever reason, your kids aren’t going to camp this summer and you need to keep them moving and having fun? With a little planning and effort, you can create a DIY summer camp for your kids and their friends.

Here’s how to start your own summer camp at home:

Find other families

One way to go about it is to share with others! You can start by finding some friends to join in. Try reaching out to friends from school and then move on to neighbours, friends from clubs, sports, or even co-workers.

Send out a series of emails and see if you can find some other families that would be interested in getting together once a week or perhaps every day for one week. The beauty of this arrangement is, each parent can take a turn planning, organizing and hosting a day. And there’s no doubt that when you get your kids together with friends, it’s easy to find ways to have a lot of fun and keep them occupied.

Consider your budget

Since you’re in charge of your DIY summer camp, it only has to cost as much as the activities you choose. Want to visit local theme parks? Then you’ll spend more money. Choose biking, hiking, or exploring playgrounds in your community and you’ll pay nothing. Except for the occasional ice cream cone.

If you’re sharing the planning with other families, make sure everyone has the same expectations regarding budget, right from the beginning.

And if you’re looking for some creative ideas on how to have a lot of summer fun without spending a lot of money, here are several ways to do just that:

• 14 cheap (or free!) activities to do with your kids this summer
• The coolest free (or cheap) splash pads and wading pools in Canada
• Cheap or free at-home activities for kids
• 20 fun things to do at home—for free

Choose a theme

If you’re planning multiple weeks, having a different theme for each week is a fun idea. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Tour de (insert the name of your city or town here). Explore your city or town by bikes or on foot. Start from a different location each day and visit nearby playgrounds, parks, and other attractions. Let the kids feel like they’re leading the way and be open to adventure. Have a few fun activities in your pocket for those times that they need a little structure but let the focus be on free play and discovery.

Field trip fun. Visit a local zoo, nearby theme park, museum or historical park, splash parks, water parks, or a beach. The options are limitless. This is a great way to launch a summer of fun on the first week off from school (with or without other friends) or an exciting weekly activity to look forward to. If you decided to head to the water, here are some fun games to play at the beach.

Choose a new sport or activity. Rent or borrow the necessary gear and set out to try something new! Ideas could include roller blading, tennis, skateboarding, mountain biking, geocaching (which only requires an app on your smart phone), ultimate frisbee, or disc golf. Let the age of the kids in your group guide your choices. For young kids (under 7) it might be fun to focus on developing new skills like throwing, catching, and jumping by creating an obstacle course or with fun games like hopscotch. Here’s how to set up your own DIY obstacle course outside.

Get your hike on. Look for natural areas and parks within your town or city limits and explore nearby provincial parks. Keep kids engaged with an active nature ninja scavenger hunt.

Get wet and wild. Visit spray parks, wading pools, or water parks. Go to a local beach, lake or river, try fishing, or rent a boat for a day. During a hot week plan to be near water everyday for some good old fashioned summer fun. Bonus points if you can find a dock to jump from.

Decide if you want more structured activities

Starting your own summer camp at home can be as loosely structured as you want. But if you’re looking for more of a detailed plan, you might want some written activity plans to keep you on track. Thankfully, we already have 8 weeks of fun summer activity plans, created by a physical education teacher and a recreation program specialist.

These free weekly DIY summer camp activity plans are designed for busy families and include new ideas for games, activities, arts and crafts, book recommendations, and more each week. The focus is on developing skills, confidence and a love of movement — all critical building blocks to develop physical literacy. But each week also has a fun and engaging theme kids will love. Choose from Animal Planet, Olympic Games, Under the Sea and more.

Finally, have fun!

Whether it’s a bike ride around the neighbourhood, followed by sprinkler fun and popsicles, or a hike up a mountain with a picnic by a waterfall, it doesn’t really matter. Being outdoors and spending time together is what counts. You’ll be making memories you’ll all share for years to come.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on June 22, 2016.